Locanda del Ghetto

A hotel in Venice's historic Jewish quarter

ABOVE: The Locanda del Ghetto shares a building with a synagogue and the Museo Ebraico.

By Durant Imboden

The Venetian Ghetto has long been a popular destination for Jewish tourists and for visitors with an interest in Venice's religious and social history. In 1516, the Ghetto-- named after the ghetto, or foundry, that once stood on the site--was built to placate the Roman Catholic Church, which had ordered the expulsion of Jews from many areas of Europe. (See our illustrated article about the Venetian Ghetto.)

Until a few years ago, the Ghetto lacked a hotel, but now the Locanda del Ghetto offers a place to stay on the Campo del Ghetto Nuovo, one of the most pleasant and interesting neighborhood squares in Venice. The locanda occupies a 15th Century building that it shares with a synagogue and the city's Jewish Museum, and two restaurants--including Gam Gam, a kosher restaurant--are nearby.

We haven't stayed in the hotel, but it has favorable guest reviews from Booking.com, and the location is  convenient if you're coming from the railroad station or the Guglie airport-boat and vaporetto stop. (See our walking directions with map.) Prices are reasonable by Venice standards and include a traditional Italian breakfast of rolls, croissants, and coffee.

For more information, see Booking.com's Locanda del Ghetto pages.

About the author:

Durant Imboden has written about Venice, Italy since 1996. He covered Venice and European travel at About.com for 4-1/2 years before launching Europe for Visitors (including Venice for Visitors) with Cheryl Imboden in 2001.

PC Magazine has called this "the premier visitors' site for Venice, Italy." Over the years, it has helped more than 30 million travelers. For more information, see About our site, our Europe for Visitors press clippings, and our reader testimonials.